How to Do Your Hair Like 80s Metal

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80s hair is huge right now. But that's in keeping with the 80s ethos: bigger is better. Metal hair, like many things in the 80s, was pretty huge. Big hair evolved out of the glam metal scene, influenced by David Bowie and T-Rex and developed into metal bands famous for intense guitar solos, power ballads, eyeliner and legendarily big hair. Long, teased hair was thrown around to emphasize intensity in the songs. Metal hair from the 80s is legendary -- bands like Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Guns n' Roses and Loverboy are emblematic of the teased, backcombed and spiky look that was so popular.

Begin the look with your own long hair, hair extensions or a long-haired wig. Long hair is the canvas for the teased, backcombed look. It's best, if you're using your own hair, not to wash it the same day you want to achieve metal hair. Dirty hair is easier to manipulate into voluminous metal hairstyles. If you are starting with clean hair, use gel and mousse to add desired volume and texture for metal band hair.

Lean over at the waist and begin backcombing your hair all around the base of your skull. To backcomb, simply pull a handful of hair straight and taut from your head and run the rattail comb back over it, towards your head. This technique produces a foundation that enables upper layers of hair to jut out from the skull and fall in voluminous, backcombed strands around the head. Make sure you get close to the base and backcomb right around the whole circumference of your hairline to produce maximum volume.

Throw your hair back as you stand up. The volume will have significantly increased if you've done your backcombing thoroughly. Continue to backcomb and scrunch hair in your hands all around the sides and top of your head.

Begin hair spraying to increase volume as well as to hold your hair in place. Begin by bending over and allowing your hair to hang off your head. Spray your roots and all around the base of your skull. Flip your hair back, and lift sections of it up to spray close to the roots of your hair. Finish with one thorough spray over the top of your hair.

If you have bangs, you can do a little backcombing and hair spraying to create a frame for your face and a transition to the rest of your hair. Let your bangs fall in jagged strips to the side(s) of your face.